I have been a special educator for 25 years. I was constantly in motion for many of those years, on my feet, rarely sitting at my desk. However, five years ago, my career took a different turn, and I now work from home, spending most of my day at my desk.
It’s essential for me to find ways to get my body moving, so anything that I can find to help me do that and keep me feeling great is added to my “go-to” toolbox!
Cooling Cuff
We have a workout space in our basement, and, especially in the summer months, I find myself sweating more than I’d like. I mean, I know sweating is good when you’re working out, but I don’t enjoy having to constantly wipe the sweat out of my eyes. I know I can turn on a fan, which does help somewhat, but I wanted to see if there was something else that could help. I found the Cooling Cuff ($40) and thought I’d try it. The wristbands are adjustable, so even my husband can wear them. By cooling the blood on the underside of my wrists, my whole body is cooled down as well. I liked these cuffs a lot but wished they lasted longer. By the end of my 40-minute workout, they had given out. I think I may wait next time and put them on about 15 minutes into my training.
TheraICE Rx
Trying to find something easy to use, reliable, and portable to help with aches and pains hasn’t always been the most straightforward task. Bags of ice or frozen vegetables can leak, heating pads need to be plugged in, and so on. Then I found ThereaICE Rx. I mean, it was mentioned on Fox, CBS, NBC, and in USA Today, so it has to be legit, right? I decided to get the Hot and Cold Compression Sleeve. This way, we could use it where and at what temperature we needed and benefit from compression therapy. I have to say that the form-fitting, one-piece stretchable gel sleeve is soft and comfortable. It stays in place and offers 360° compression, which I can’t get with my frozen peas or even my heating pads! I think this is a steal at $33 and comes in both black and pink colors. The one thing I have found that is less than appealing is the amount of time it takes to heat the sleeve. I have a 1200-watt microwave, and it took me 2 minutes (in intervals of 5 seconds as the directions instruct) to get the sleeve heated to an acceptable temperature. I would’ve liked for it to have been hotter, but I was tired of waiting next to the microwave and wanted to get on with what I was doing. Overall, I like this product and would recommend purchasing it if you’re looking for something you can use for those pesky aches and pains.
Incredi-belt
I have found that my back hasn’t made such a great transition to sitting in a desk chair for most of my working hours. I’ve tried different chairs, sitting various ways, and still, the back pain can occasionally creep up on me. Because of this, someone sent me the incredi-belt by Cabeau. Since it is a lumbar support belt or brace, it provides the necessary support anywhere I need. You can watch a short YouTube video illustrating the different uses (it’s a little corny but fun, too). Another bonus is that it can mount to a chair to affix it to my desk chair if I don’t want it around my waist. Since I’m not someone who has done a ton of research on the cost of lumbar supports, this one seemed a bit pricey to me ($30). However, since it has a variety of uses, is easily portable, and is simple to use, you can justify the price if you’re using it consistently. I will say about this belt that I don’t love the “buckle.” It seems a little on the cheap side. While the design is lightweight and helps keep the belt light, it easily catches on things (at least it did for me) and comes undone. For this reason, I plan to affix it to the office chair with the buckle on the back.
